Flexible rawhide rifle cleaner



July 21, 1925. 1,546,475

H. A. COOK FLEXIBLE RAWHIDE RIFLE CLEANER Filed March 23, 1925 INVENTOR flaward A. Cook ATTORNEY Patented July 21, 1925.

means PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD A. COOK, OF SOUTIrIFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS FLEXIBLE RA'WHIDE RIFLE CLEANER.

Application filed March 23, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, lowArn Coon, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Southfield, county of Berkshire, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Rawhide Rifle Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rifle cleaners, and more particularly to a semi-flexible rifle cleaner composed of flexible rawhide.

One object of this invention is to provide a rawhide rifle cleaner of the above nature which may either be pushed or pulled throu h the barrel of gun.

A further object is to provide a rifle cleaner of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there have been illustrated on the accompanying drawings, several forms in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a strip of rawhide from which the first form of rifle cleaner is constructed.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same after it has been twisted into final form, and showing'a swabbing cloth in position in the end loop thereof.

Figs. 3 and 4; are perspective views respectively of a modified second form of rawhide rifle cleaner showing its appearance before and after being twisted to final shape.

Figs. 5 and 6 are similar perspective'views respectively of a modified third form of rawhide cleaner, before and after being twisted to final shape.

In cleaning gun barrels, it has been customary in the past either to employ a rigid metal ram-rod for 'iushing' a swabbing cloth through the barrel or else to use a string or cord for pulling the swabbing cloth through the barrel. The rigid metal form of rifle cleaner was subject to the disadvantage that not only was it bulky, but it was quite likely to become bent in use, and would thereby scratch the delicate grooves and lands in the bore of the gun barrel. The cord type of cleaner had the disadvantage that in order to obtain a hold on the cord it was first necessary to draw the end of the cord through Serial No. 17,571.

the barrel by the use of a weight or other means.

By means of the present invention, the above and other disadvantages have been avoided. This has been accomplished by making the rifle cleaner of solid semi flexible rawhide. Such a device cannot possibly scratch the bore of a gun and the cleaner may be readily either pulled or pushed through the barrel, at the will of the operator.

Referrin now tothe drawings, in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates a thin rectangular strip of the original soft green rawhide from which the first form of rawhide cleaner is constructed.

A slit 11 is first made adjacent one end of the strip 10, and said slit is spread apart with any suitable tool to an approximately oval shape so as to receive and hold a swabbing cloth by which the bore of the rifle is to be cleaned. The strip 10 will then be twisted in any suit-able manner, while still soft, until it assumes a solid cylindrical shape, as shown in Fig. 2 at which time the side edges 12 will lie in a spiral formation and in abutment with one another.

In order to present the least possible obstruction to the passage of the cleaner through the bore, the end of the rod beyond the slit 11 may, if desired, be rounded as shown at 13. The opposite end of the rod is ne:-:t formed with an enlarged head or knob 1 by means of which the swabbing cloth 15 may be wrapped about that end of the rod in case it is desired to clean the bore with considerable pressure. The next step in the process of nanufacture is to allow the rawhide to dry and harden in order to c0nsoli date the fibres thereof. waterproof coat- 16 of any suitable material such as shellac, varnish, or the like, is preferably then applied to the surface of the rawhide.

In Fig. at is illustrated a modified form of ri'tie cleaner which is made from the U- shaped strip of soft green rawhide 17 of rectangular cross-section shown in Fig. 3. The side members 18 of the U-shaped strip 17 are twisted about one another, while still soft, until the cleaner assumes a solid cylindrical shape with the abutting edges 20 and 21 of the side members 18 and 19 spirally arranged in a manner similar to that of the first form of cleaner shown in Fig. 2. A small loop 22 provided for holding a swabbing cloth This form of rifle cleaner may also be provided with an enlarged head, not shown, similar to the head 14 of the first form shown in Fig. 2, if so desired. t may also be coated with waterproofing as in the first illustrated embodiment.

The form of rawhide cleaner shown in Fig. 6 is made from a narrow strip of soft green rawhide originally of the shape shown in 5. 3.. slit 2% is made near the middle portion of the strip and the end 25 is inserted in said slit and pulled therethrough until only a small cloth holding loop 26 remains. v

The side members 25 and 27 are then twisted about one another, while still soft,

until a solid cylindrical shape shown in fig. 6 is produced. As in the previous forms of.

the invention, thee-butting edges 28 and 29 will be arranged spirally around the surface of the cylindrical solid rod and the loop 26 will be left open so as to hold theswabbing cloth as in the two previous forms.

The third illustrated form of rawhide cleaner may be also provided with a waterproof coating and an enlarged knob may be formed on the end opposite from the loop, if desired. Y

One advantage of the present invention is that the rawhide cleaner is sufficiently flexible to-permit it to be rolled up into a small coil when not in use, but at the same time is sufficiently rigid to permit it to be either pushed or pulled through the bore of the gun without bending. It is also sufliciently soft to avoid the possibility of injuring the delicate lands and grooves of the bore.

While the invention herein disclosed is especially adapted for use as a rifle cleaner, it will be understood that it is not limiter. to such use, but may also be employed for cleaning revolvers, metal pipes, or any other elongated tubular article, within its general principles and scope.

lVhile there have been disclosed in this specification several forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures but may be 'moditied and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short,

the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Havinpthus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. The process of making a rifle cleaner which comprises forming a cloth-holding loop in one end of a strip of rawhide while said material is still green and soft, twisting said strip into solid cylindrical shape with its side edges in abutment, and then allowing it to dry and harden.

2. The process of making a rifle cleaner which comprises forming a cloth-holding loop in one end of a strip of rawhide while said material is still green and soft, twist inc said strip into solid cylindrical shape with its side edges in abutment, allowing itto dry and harden, and then applying a waterproof coating to the exterior thereof.

3. The process of making a rifle cleaner which com. ses forming a cloth-holding loop in a strip of rawhide while said material is still green and soft, twisting said strip into solid cylindrical shape with its side edges in abutment, and then allowing it to dry and harden.

i. The process of making a rifle cleaner which comprises bending a rectangular strip of green soft rawhide into U-shape twisting the sides of said U-shaped strip about each other into the shape of a solid c linder with the edges of said strip in abutnt, and allowing said cleaner to dry and harden.

5. A semi-flexible rifle cleaner adapted to be either pushed or pulled through the bore of a hardened ran-hide, said rod having a loop in one end for holding a swabbing cloth.

6. In a semi-flexible rifle cleaner adapted to be either pushed or pulled through the bore of a rifle, a solid cylindrical rod of dry hardened rawhide, said rod having a loop in one end and being formed by twisting a pair of rectangular strips of soft green rawhide upon each other and then allowing said rawhide to dry and harden.

7. A semi-flexible rifle cleaner adapted to -be either pushed or pulled through. the bore of a rifle, comprising a solid-rod of dry hardened rawhide, said rod having a loop in one end for holding a swabbing cloth, said cleaner being formed from an originally flat U-shaped strip of green soft rawhide, the sides of said U-shaped strip being twisted upon each other until theiredges are in abutment and forming a solid'cylindrical rod, theend of said rod having a loop for holding a swabb-ing cloth.

8. A rifle cleaner comprising a solid cylindrical rod of dry hard rawhide, said rod having a loop at one end and an eniarged knob at its other end, said loop and knob being adapted to interchangeably hold a swabbing cloth for cleaning the bore of a gun, said rod being adapted to be either pushed or pulled through said bore without scratching, and being adapted to be rolled up into a small space when not in use.

In estimony whereof, I have affixed my signature to this specification.

HOWARD COOK.-

rifle, comprising a solid rod of dry. 

